Vita is a town and comune in inland south-western Sicily, Italy, administratively part of the province of Trapani. It is the smallest municipality area of the province of Trapani at about 8.88 square kilometres (3.43 sq mi). It is also characterized by the second highest elevation in the province, after Erice.

Vita
Comune di Vita
Bosco della Baronia
Location of Vita
Map
Vita is located in Italy
Vita
Vita
Location of Vita in Italy
Vita is located in Sicily
Vita
Vita
Vita (Sicily)
Coordinates: 37°52′N 12°49′E / 37.867°N 12.817°E / 37.867; 12.817
CountryItaly
RegionSicily
ProvinceTrapani (TP)
Government
 • MayorGiuseppa Mascaretta (Lista Civica Uniti per Vita -Mascaretta sindaco)
Area
 • Total8.88 km2 (3.43 sq mi)
Elevation
480 m (1,570 ft)
Population
 (2001)[2]
 • Total2,435
 • Density270/km2 (710/sq mi)
DemonymVitesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
91010
Dialing code0924

The town was founded in the early 17th century, under the Spaniards, by a noble from Calatafimi, Vito Sicomo. The birth of the township was then ratified by King Philip III of Spain on March 11, 1607.

In 1860, the town gave its full support to the Mille led by Giuseppe Garibaldi. In the early 20th century, the city reached its highest population, with c. 6,000 inhabitants. More recently, its inhabitants have slowly left the town in order to move towards Northern Italy and foreign countries, with possibly its largest emigrant community located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vita was heavily damaged by the 1968 Belice earthquake, and rebuilt in a new urban zone, close to the old one.

The derivation of the name is uncertain: it is possibly associated to the founder's name, but might either be of Arab origin (there is a town named Vita in Algeria too), or even somehow associated to the same Italian word which means life.

References edit

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

Sources edit